


A Beautiful Day

by ArtemisSol



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars: Clone Wars (2003) - All Media Types, Star Wars: Rebels, Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: Ahsoka says goodbye, Character Death, Comfort, Gen, Goodbye, Happy, Memories, Peaceful, Reflection, end of life, what happens to Rex
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-30
Updated: 2020-07-30
Packaged: 2021-03-05 21:34:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,717
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25602181
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ArtemisSol/pseuds/ArtemisSol
Summary: Ahsoka gets to say goodbye to her oldest and dearest friend, a luxury neither is often afforded.
Relationships: CT-7567 | Rex & Ahsoka Tano
Comments: 6
Kudos: 33





	A Beautiful Day

**Author's Note:**

> First time posting to Ao3! This short story took my brain hostage yesterday and wouldn't let me focus until I got it all out. I've just been wondering what happens to all of the Clones that survived the war(s), and this seemed fitting for Rex.

The sun streamed through the open windows and front door of the small cabin. The dappled light painted the room and everything seemed to shimmer. Rex smiled to himself, quietly observing his small home and reflecting. He never could have imagined the end would look like this.

His life was spent on the edge. In battle, constantly assuming each moment would be his last. In downtime, nerves shot and body ready to spring into action at the slightest hint of disturbance. All the clones carried that with them, it’s what they were made for, death and destruction. None of them dared hold the thought of peace and normalcy too close, it just wasn’t in the cards for them.

For many it wasn’t, but somehow, against all odds, it was for Rex. But, then again, his life was never quite like that of his brothers. He had lived the last 5 years of his life in relative peace, finding a quiet cabin on a forested Outer Rim planet to spend his remaining years. He had lost Gregor on Lothal and Wolffe to the battle of Endor.

Despite his losses, he was lucky. Again he smiled to himself, what a funny word to use, “lucky.” Someone on the outside might not agree. He had seen so much death, lost so many people he loved, but he still felt lucky. 

Somehow he had been spared time after time and in his quiet moments he wondered: was something looking out for him? Was it the Force that wrapped itself around him when he was first created, for some reason choosing him to continue where others fell? Here, at the end of it, he latched onto that thought, taking comfort in knowing there might be something out there greater than himself, greater than all living things.

A small knock on the door frame roused him from his reflection. The figure was in shadow, but he knew the form all too well. His Commander, his greatest friend, checking-in on him. 

“Come-in, Commander.” Rex said through raspy, slow breaths. He attempted to sit up, but he was feeling every bit his (un)natural age. He was a mere 42 years old, but the accelerated aging programmed into his Clone DNA had caused his body to break down so much faster than it should.

“Rex, we haven’t been at war for a few years, and I haven’t been your Commander for even longer.” Ahsoka kneeled beside his bed on the floor, taking his hand in hers. “How are you feeling today?” She asked, but she already knew. Reaching out through the Force, she knew these would be the last hours she’d have with her oldest friend, and that he was in pain. Like always, he didn’t show it.

“Old habit…Ahsoka…” Rex coughed, his attempts at suppressing it making it worse.

Ahsoka winced. She never let herself think that this day would come. She locked it away like so many other memories and emotions, and had convinced herself that Rex would go on forever, that he’d be there with her til the end. 

Now there were so few people left who could share in their memories of the Clone Wars and the hard-won and hard-lost battles that were fought. When he was gone, who else could she turn to to laugh about the good times, and the fun they had between battles. Who would be left to ease the pain when thoughts about their fallen brothers clutched at the edges of her mind, and the guilt was too much to bare? 

Rex’s other hand came up to her face and smoothed away the tears forming at the edges of her eyes. “Ahsoka it’s going to be ok, I’ll always be with you, you know that better than anyone.”

She tried so hard to smile through her grief, she wanted to be strong for him this one last time. They sat in silence for a few minutes, each not really sure what to say to comfort the other, and each knowing that sometimes just being present was enough.

Rex broke the silence: “Cody once said, in war, sometimes it’s harder to be the one that survives.” Ahsoka cocked her head, unsure where he might be going with it, and afraid she couldn’t handle it. 

“I think about that a lot. He was so very right, and I never got a chance to tell him, to thank him for attempting to ease the burden, to understand. It just wasn’t something that we felt we were allowed to discuss with each other. We were bred for war and pain, but we never felt it was ok to acknowledge it to each other…the pain, I mean. I…I want to thank you for allowing me to burden you with so much of mine. You were a kid, and you had the weight of the galaxy on your shoulders, and still you let me talk through it all and grieve every lost brother, every moment of regret and hesitation. You saw me as a person, not a number…”

He paused again, collecting his thoughts. “I guess…” he sighed. “I regret that I never told Cody, and I don’t want to go without telling you…thank you for everything, Ahsoka.” 

Squeezing her hand, and looking into her eyes, he hoped his words didn’t sound like the crazy ramblings of a dying man. Ahsoka would miss those eyes, now clouded and blurry with age, no hint of the shining amber she knew so well.

“Oh Rex,” she bowed her head with the weight of it. “Thank you for your kind words. I’ll carry them with me…always.” The room was fading from soft yellows, to the oranges and reds of the setting sun. Her mind slipped back to old memories, of the times post-battle when the small group of brothers, their little sister in tow, would slip away to watch the sunset on whatever world they happened to inhabit. She wondered…”Rex, are you able to move?”

He arched an eyebrow, wanting to say yes, but unsure. “What are you thinking?”

“I just thought, it might be nice to watch the sunset…like old times.”

“Yes, I think I have a little pep left in me. Can you…?” Ahsoka wrapped her arms under his shoulders and helped him to his feet. He felt so frail and light, a shell of the soldier he used to be. She helped him lean against the wall as she gathered blankets and pillows. Together they moved slowly to the grassy hill outside the cabin. 

Outside, they arranged themselves like they would all those years ago, Ahsoka lay her head in the crook of his neck, Rex holding her hand across his heart, as they watched the sky darken. They could feel the shadows of their fallen brothers surrounding them, holding them close.

“I love you, you know? You’re the only family I have left, and I’m not ready for this,” she could feel the tears forming again. She had been alone so much of her life, but she always knew he was out there somewhere. It was only now dawning on her how much she relied on that solace.

“If I could stay, you know I would, ad’ika. We knew this day would come, and I’m so grateful you’re here with me,” he sighed, his breathing feeling more shallow with each passing moment. “You’re not alone, cyare. Not really.” He searched for the right words, anything to distract her from her sadness. “Remember how you use to tell us those old Jedi stories?” He paused hoping this would work. “Could you tell me one again?”

Ahsoka couldn’t help but laugh at the absurd simplicity of his request. “You sure that’s what you want right now?

“Of course, you’ve got a knack for it, and I could certainly use the distraction.” 

“Ok, if you insist,” she searched her memory, it had been a lifetime since she last thought about those stories, but she had to try. Clearing her throat, “It was a long time ago…”

The next few hours were spent telling stories, laughing, crying and sharing truths that had gone too long unspoken, saying their goodbyes. As the sun peaked over the distant horizon Ahsoka yawned and pushed herself up from the ground. She stretched and smiled, feeling the sun warming away the nighttime dew. 

“It’s going to be another beautiful day, Rex,” her back twinged, reminding her of her own years. “Sorry I didn’t mean to keep us outside for so long, you must be sore.” She turned and kneeled to help her friend up and back into his house. Her hands flew to her mouth, a poor attempt to suppress the sob in her throat. 

Rex lay perfectly still, his eyes closed, a meager smile graced his lips. Ahsoka gently nudged his shoulder,

“Rex?,” she squeaked out. “Oh no, oh please no!” Her fingers grasped desperately at his shirt, the blanket, anything in an attempt to prevent her from flying out of her skin. “It’s ok, everything is fine. We’ll…we’ll just get you back into the cabin and…”

She steadied her breathing, attempting to refocus her energies and bring herself a sense of calm she so desperately needed. Never before had she been so grateful for her meditative training. Gently she picked up Rex’s cold hand, the one she had been holding most of the night, and brought it to her lips for one final kiss goodbye. She set about crossing it over his other hand and covering him with the blanket, murmuring somber meditations to herself. 

Ahsoka found a quiet spot beneath a tree that overlooked the valley, a spot she knew he would like. As she worked, she hummed a song Rex would sing to himself as the 501st marched through uncertain terrain. She wondered if he knew how much that song comforted both herself and their brothers in those dark hours. 

When her task was done she stood, eyes lowered, a sad smile crossing her face: 

“Until we meet again, my dear friend,” she saluted. “May the Force be with you, always.”

Ahsoka’s gentle sobs were all that echoed over the grassy valley outside the small cabin on the forested world. It was going to be a beautiful day.

**Author's Note:**

> This got me in the feels while I was writing it! Thank you so much for reading, I hope you enjoyed it!
> 
> Mando'a translations:  
> ad'ika = little one  
> cyare = beloved/loved


End file.
